By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE
There was drama at Mbale district council yesterday, 7th December, 2022 when councilors forced the Speaker to end the council session prematurely after Deputy Chief Administrative Officer told them there was no money to facilitate their usual retreats that take place in December.
According to David Gidudu, councilor representing Budwale Sub County, each year in December, the office of the CAO allocates money which facilitates them in having trips to different other districts for bench-marking.
He added that these trips help them to get new knowledge about what other districts do which can be copied to improve on service delivery like raise local revenue collection, how to deliberate in council among others.
Mr Gidudu said ‘’councilors forced the Deputy Speaker to end council business in a protest as a way of showing their bitterness after Max Mukula, the Mbale district deputy chief administrative officer told the council that the district has no money.’’
Esther Muyama Masete, the Mbale district deputy speaker said that she adjourned the councilor to next week on Wednesday such that they give enough time to the CAO’s office to look at all possible ways of getting funds to facilitate councilors for this year’s benchmark retreats.
She added that those trips help councilors to get lots of knowledge which can be converted into development.
Tony Wamakale, the Mbale district LCV vice chairperson said that it’s true this financial year, the government cut their district Discretionary Development Equalization Grant (DDEG) from Shs800 million to 300 million shillings they have been getting to use to facilitate councilors for the retreat.
He urged Members of Parliament to have one voice and ask the government to increase funding of local governments especially DDEG programs which have been helping them to do lots of activities in the next financial years such that these activities can resume.
Meanwhile Mukula has insisted that in this financial year the district has no money to facilitate the retreat of councilors.
